A few months ago, I connected with the loveliest photographers, Cindy and David, who as a team compose Henkl Photography. They’re based in Houston not far from where we live, and I jumped at the opportunity to have them photograph our little family of three. The one thing I had really missed in Maya’s first year was that we never had proper photos taken of the three of us. Michael’s sister captured some photos when Maya was born and occasionally throughout the year, but not a proper session like I imagined we’d eventually do.

We cancelled once with Cindy and David because it was like 94 degrees out and I just knew that I would be dripping with sweat. And we nearly cancelled the morning of these photos because Maya had been so sick for what felt like months. Honestly, it was months. She was sick 3 weeks of every month from October to maybe last month, with thick goo running out her nose, hacking cough and very, very grumpy disposition. Looking back on it, it was actually quite a hard time for us as a family. It was stressful to have her ill and not know what was wrong (pediatrician says “babies get sick” but my intuition now says allergies). When she went to her 15 month appointment with the doctor, she had actually lost weight because she had no appetite when she was sick and snotty.

Looking back at these photos is funny because she’s by far the skinniest we remember her, but it’s also a testament to Cindy and David. Maya was miserable and barely cracked a smile at the park. She only started to perk when we saw Ratt the Cat (our neighbor’s cat) on the way back. Ironically, that day was the turning point and she actually started getting progressively better that day. By the evening, we returned to the park and I caught a few photos of her grinning.

But while we didn’t get a whole lot of big smiling Maya photos like I enjoy the most, Cindy and David perfectly captured what this season was for us, which is so important. It wasn’t shiny and it wasn’t perfect. It was a little fragile and subdued, and that’s how I’ll remember this time whenever I look at these photos. I’m so glad to have a little snapshot of this time in our Houston home before we move on. This is the place we brought Maya home to our family for the first time, and it’s the place we’ve really grown into a family of three. It’s where she first crawled and then walked. It’s where we had two Baby J’s and a Baby Little Bird.

Maya asking if she can have some of her dad’s coffee.

We love our little park. It’s only a few blocks from our house and we spend so much time there. We even had Maya’s adoption day party there. Fond, fond memories at that little park.

Big fan of those rocks, Maya is. I love these big trees, and I love that they’re barren and spooky looking because this was January. This was the season we were in, for sure. Despite being so thin, she was munching on crunchy things constantly. I had brought cookies along with me to bribe her into cooperating but all she wanted to do was grab big handfuls of them. It kinda backfired.  And then Ratt the Cat came on the scene and Maya’s mood started to lift. Ratt is the neighbor’s cat and when she (or he?) is lying down on the driveway taking a nap, she looks as flat as a pancake. I think she’s about 15 years old and Maya is obsessed with her. When we turn onto our street, Maya says “meow! meow!” based solely on the trees across from the house where Ratt lives. We stop to pet Ratt just about every day and it’s a highlight of Maya’s day. Favourite photo of me and my girl. A smile with only those 4 teeth on top and bottom and the 1 year molars poking through. She’s got a whole mouthful now!

Such big thanks to Cindy and David. They are Houston based and so, so chill to have in your home or with you on a run to the park. Even their cameras are small an unobtrusive so you don’t feel like a jerk at the park on a Saturday at 10am!

Happy New Year, friends! 2017 is getting a slow start around these parts since Maya and I only returned to Houston at the end of last week. Michael had to come back earlier to start school, but it was cheaper for us to fly back a little later and take advantage of a few more days with Maya’s grandparents, with whom she is 1000% obsessed.

She would be even more obsessed if they had been around this weekend to save her from the pacifier weaning we embarked upon Saturday night. I realized a month or so ago that the pacifier Maya was fully attached to for sleep and sick/sad moments was made for a 0-3 month old baby. Very much not made for a baby with 12 teeth and very much already affecting those teeth. I felt guilty every time I let her have it once I realized what it was doing to her gums and mouth, but I knew we couldn’t put my parents through the misery of taking it away from her. We tried snipping the end of the paci first – the idea being that you cut bits off until there’s nothing left to suck and by that point they’re over it – and she took one look at it and basically said oh, hell no. She kept holding it out and looking at it like she was wondering what the heck we did to break her most cherished possession. Then we offered a different pacifier that’s made for older babies and that only made her more mad.

In the end, we cold turkey-ed it. She screamed for a while last night going to bed, and then promptly slept 11 hours. She screamed her way through most of both her naps today, except when she was chewing on the side of her crib (while I ate my weight in Hershey kisses). And then tonight we added a stuffed goose and a teddy bear to her crib and lo and behold, a nearly peaceful bedtime. Thank goodness!

Anyway, beyond that drama we’ve been easing into the new year. The end of 2016 was hard for me as it was for so many. The election felt like a kick in the teeth to an already emotional and trying rollercoaster year. I think I might have been running on adrenaline for most of the year as we went through such high highs and quite low lows. Between Maya’s adoption day and then babies in and babies out, babies maybe happening and babies not happening anymore, I ran out of adrenaline when we returned from Ireland and I’m only now starting to feel like myself again. Even though we spent most of the holidays sick with various bugs between us, it was a break and I returned feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Michael and my parents picked up my slack big time in the last few weeks. I read two books in three weeks, enjoyed a glass of wine with my mom every night, and started watching This Is Us, which is watchably light and thought-provokingly deep at the same time.

While 2017 is slowly getting rolling, it’s already looking like it will be a very different sort of year than last year. I’ve picked up a new writing gig as well as some hours as a teaching assistant at Michael’s school, and it looks like Maya will be starting daycare at least a few days a week soon. She’s so social and loves being around other kids, so I think it will be good for her even though it will be a huge adjustment for both of us. But 15 months is a pretty long time to get to spend every day together, and I’m grateful we’ve had so much time.

I have a few goals for the new year, loose ones without trying to put much pressure on myself after the stress of the last year. Just a little more fun and a little more exploring.

More Houston exploring

I have a running list of Houston spots to explore, so we’ll try to check those off maybe one per weekend. We want to visit Brazos State Park in the daylight, finally get to the MFAH, go back to the cosy wine bar we visited a few weeks before Maya was born.

More date nights

I can count on one hand the number of times Michael and I got to spend time just the two of us last year. This year, at least monthly date nights.

Meal plans maybe?

Meh, maybe not. It always seems like a great idea in theory, but I can barely plan a day ahead let alone a week. We’ll see what happens when things get a little crazier around here.

Get a house plant

It seems that’s what our tiny apartment is missing – something green. Although we’ll need to find a place where Maya can’t get into the dirt. She’s a sucker for dirt.

More books

I’ve got a stack next to my bed and a Kindle that hasn’t gotten nearly enough use in the last year. I just finished The Trespasser by Tana French, which I enjoyed but wasn’t my favorite of hers. I read The Magnolia Story last week and predictably enjoyed it.

Fight for the least of these

Because it’s gonna be important this year, more than ever. Last year, I felt our giving back role was with the tiny people who shared our home. This year we might not be taking on those situations as I try to get back to work a little, so I need to find the way we can fight for those who need back up in this scary time. I’m open to suggestions.

I hope you’re feeling glimmers of hope in the new year, despite the scary times ahead. I hope we are all able to enjoy abundant peace and happiness in 2017.